20 must-see concerts happening at Boston’s top venues in summer 2024 (2024)

Concerts

We've super-sized our summer concerts list to fit in more of the stellar acts coming through from June through August.

By Ed Symkus

May 23, 2024

The 2024 summer concerts season features rock and blues and jazz and pop and Americana and hip-hop, and it’s happening in clubs and concert halls and arenas and sheds. We’ve put our heads together to come up with selections that just might be the best of the batch at some of Greater Boston’s top venues this June-August.

(Sites include TD Garden, Roadrunner, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, House of Blues, Leader Bank Pavilion, Wang Theatre,The Wilbur, Symphony Hall, Xfinity Center, Passim, Scullers Jazz Club, and City Winery. Also check out our separate Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park concert guides; our smaller venue preview is here.All prices listed are face value; for some shows only verified resale tickets may be available.)

Best rock & blues concerts:

Gary Clark Jr. at MGM Music Hall

The Texas guitarist-vocalist has been practicing his craft since he was 12, initially making waves as a young bluesman, but eventually incorporating music from a number of other genres, including funk and straight-up rock. Some landmark moments in his career have included him acting and playing in the John Sayles film “Honeydripper,” winning a Best Traditional R&B Performance Grammy for “Please Come Home,” and first entering the charts with his cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” His most recent album, “JPEG RAW,” features tunes from a couple of his heroes, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton and, while remaining a guitar-based blues-rock offering, also brings in tastes of jazz and hip-hop. Friday, June 7, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston, $66-$180.

Bonnie Raitt at MGM Music Hall

She’s got a powerful, raspy singing voice; she plays a mean guitar; she’s a soulful blues woman who’s not shy about mixing in tastes of rock and R&B; her first album came out slightly more than 50 years ago; she scored a Top 10 hit with “Something to Talk About”; and she’s won 13 Grammy Awards, the most recent three (Song of the Year, Best American Roots Song, and Best Americana Performance) for 2022’s “Just Like That.” She’s Bonnie Raitt, and she’s still at the top of her game. Opening act is James Hunter. Saturday, June 15, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $177-$825.

Dave Matthews Band at Xfinity Center

They have been the jam band of note for three decades, creating a sound that encompasses bar rock and plenty of jazzy grooves. From the 1994 debut album “Under the Table and Dreaming” right up through last year’s “Walk Around the Moon,” vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Matthews – originally from South Africa, but living in the Charlottesville, Virginia, since the mid-’80s – has led an ever-changing line-up of band members but has remained the darling of a ravenous fan base. The group is constantly on the road, concert halls are always filled, and album releases are no strangers to the number one spot. Also of note: The band has so much material to choose from, it’s pretty much guaranteed that no two sets are ever the same. Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $67-$381.

Santana and Counting Crows at Xfinity Center

Guitarist extraordinaire Carlos Santana had a pretty good summer in 1969, when he and his namesake band dazzled the crowd at Woodstock with a mix of psychedelia and Latin-based rock, and shortly afterward, released their first Columbia album. Radio hits followed – from “Evil Ways” to “Black Magic Woman.” But that was only the beginning of Santana’s musical journey, which shifted into jazz with the album “Caravanserai” and pop with “Zebop!” and blues/rock with “Blues for Salvador.” A decade after that one, his album “Supernatural” won eight Grammy Awards. In the middle of it all, and continuing to this day, he’s released albums and songs that have gone in spiritual directions, featured Spanish-language vocals, gone the instrumental route, and could be categorized as pop-fusion.

The roots-alt-rock band Counting Crows, meanwhile, began their recording career with the rather somber multi-platinum album “August and Everything After” (which featured the upbeat hit “Mr. Jones”), then morphed their way into making records that both rocked out and got mellow. Songwriter Adam Duritz even took a little composing downtime when he and the band released “Underwater Sunshine,” an album of covers by the likes of the Faces, Bob Dylan, and Fairport Convention. Tuesday, July 23, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $54-$326.

Phish at Xfinity Center

Since the first incarnation of the improvisational Vermont-based Trey Anastasio-fronted Phish in the mid-1980s, they’ve been a trio, then a quartet, then a quintet, and once again a quartet. The all-encompassing term “jam band” doesn’t really do them much justice, as the music they play takes in elements of rock, folk, country, and blues, with side trips into psychedelia. Sold-out concerts led to numerous live albums, an appearance on “The Simpsons” noted their mark on pop culture, there was a hiatus, a breakup, a reunion, another breakup … but they’ve been together again, and going strong, since 2009. Their most recent album – at least under the name Phish – was 2020’s “Sigma Oasis.” For some odd reason, their 2022 album “Get More Down,” was released under the name Sci-Fi Soldier. Friday, July 19, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $67-$290.

Thirty Seconds to Mars at Xfinity Center

Jared Leto, the vocalist-songwriter in Thirty Seconds to Mars, had a music career in mind when he moved to LA in 1992. But acting got in the way, resulting in such gigs as a role on “My So-Called Life,” supporting parts in “Fight Club” and “Dallas Buyers Club” (that one earned him a Supporting Actor Oscar), and the lead in “Requiem for a Dream.” And, oh yeah, that music career happened, too. He and his drummer brother Shannon formed Thirty Seconds to Mars in 1998. Of course, he’s still acting (he was unrecognizable and amazing as Paolo in “House of Gucci”), and you could say that when he hits a concert stage, he’s playing a rock star. Truth be told, he positively is a rock star, with a commanding presence and a voice able to shift from sweet to soaring. A Thirty Seconds to Mars show could feature the band’s early anthemic rock, such as “The Kill” and “Closer to the Edge,” as well as edgier, more danceable material from their 2023 album “It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day,” such as “Stuck” and “Seasons.” Sunday, Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $42-$199.

Best jazz concerts:

Trombone Shorty at Leader Bank Pavilion

New Orleans native Troy Andrews was playing trombone by the time he was 4, and leading a brass band when he was 6. At that time, the big horn was longer than he was tall, which is how he earned the nickname Trombone Shorty. Why the name stuck is a mystery, as his height is now close to six feet. The music he grew up on was traditional New Orleans jazz fare, but progressing as a player, he started infusing it with rock, funk, and soul. Still, there’s plenty of straight-up NOLA jazz on display at his concerts. He also writes original material, he’s the author of a couple of children’s books, and he’s a philanthropist – the Trombone Shorty Foundation donates instruments to public schools. And he’s got plenty of fans, among critics and listeners. His 2010 Verve Forecast album “Backatown” rode atop the jazz charts for nine weeks, and led the way to him signing with Blue Note Records for the 2017 release “Parking Lot Symphony” and its follow-up, 2022’s “Lifted.” Friday, June 14, 8 p.m., Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston, $37-$193.

John Pizzarelli at Scullers

Before John Pizzarelli got his first guitar – a Christmas present when he was 15 – he was already adept at the banjo, which he started playing at 7. But, as his father was jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and there were guitars all over the house, John was already fooling with them by the time he was 10. Now a master of 7-string jazz playing, Pizzarelli initially had dreams of being a rock star, but found he was better at writing standard jazz-type songs than pop tunes.

His concerts these days place him in a trio setting or showcase him as a solo artist, and he’s always making guest appearances. For instance, he appeared on “Runnin’ Wild,” Keith Lockhart’s first record with the Boston Pops. Besides his own “old-school” material, he’s best known for picking tunes from the Great American Songbook, but has also covered the Beatles, Billy Joel, and Steely Dan. It’s likely that his solo Scullers gig will feature pieces from his 2021 solo album “Better Days Ahead.” Friday, June 21, 7 & 9 p.m., Scullers, Double Tree Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston, $35-$155.

Best pop concerts:

Janet Jackson at TD Garden

The first time most people took notice of Janet Jackson was when, at age 7, she appeared onstage with her older brothers The Jackson 5. Four years later, she became a cast member on “Good Times.” Five years after that, she released her self-titled first album – a success on the R&B charts, but not among mainstream pop listeners. It took only four more years – that would be 1986 – when everything changed, with the release of her smash album “Control.” Records were broken with her follow-up, 1989’s “Rhythm Nation 1814,” when seven songs on it reached the Top 5 on the charts. She kept turning out top-selling albums and making guest appearances, notably with Justin Timberlake on his “Justified” album. She also appeared with Timberlake at a certain football halftime show, but that’s a story for another day. After a long series of starts and stops for a new album, her most recent, “Unbreakable,” came out in 2015. Critics loved it and it reached number 1. Friday, June 28, 8 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, $49-$287.

Alanis Morissette at Xfinity Center

Props must be given to Alanis Morissette. Not just for her breakthrough Grammy-winning 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” or that it was adapted into “Jagged Little Pill: The Musical” (which had its 2018 premiere at the A.R.T. in Cambridge before heading to Broadway). But for the fact that many years earlier, she wrote and recorded the song “Fate Stay with Me” when she was 10 years old. (It’s derivative of every other pop-dance song of that time, but, come on – she was 10!) Two lesser-selling albums had preceded “Pill,” but Morissette was on a firm career path by 14. And there were many more albums after “Pill.” “Under Rug Swept” and the less poppy “Flavors of Entanglement” were hits, then she set off in a different direction, moving into what can be termed as meditative music with “Such Pretty Forks in the Road” (2020) and “The Storm Before the Calm” (2022). What sort of music she’ll be playing on the upcoming Triple Moon Tour is anybody’s guess. With Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Morgan Wade. Tuesday, July 9, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $54-$356.

New Kids on the Block at Xfinity Center

It could be convincingly argued that among the various boy bands of the late-’80s and early-’90s, none was more successful than Boston’s New Kids on the Block. Discovered by empresario Maurice Starr in 1985, they were soon signed to Columbia Records, had a well-received album out in 1986, turned out pop hit after pop hit over the next couple of years, and saw their names placed on hot-selling merchandise. (Do you still sleep on your New Kids bed sheets?) When the bottom fell out of their particular market, they disbanded, shortly after renaming themselves NKOTB. That was in 1994. But they got back together in 2008, and released a new album, “The Block.” They returned to the road, made more records, had a hit single with “One More Night” and, earlier this year, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood released the album “Still Kids.” Opening acts are Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Saturday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $32-$282.

Avril Lavigne at Xfinity Center

In her early teenage years, growing up in a small Ontario town, Avril Lavigne worked at playing guitar and writing country songs. Before she hit 18, she moved to New York, then LA, had a pop hit with “Complicated,” a multi-million-selling album titled “Let Go,” and achieved major star status. Ensuing music became more and more upbeat, moving into regions of pop-punk, and her albums were regularly going platinum. Alternating between the pop of the single “Girlfriends” and the balladic “Fly,” Lavigne also showed she was pretty good at adding an edge to her music with the release of the angry and rocking (and expletive-ridden) “Bite Me” from her 2022 album “Love Sux.” Saturday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, $65-$316.

Best Americana/country/folk concerts:

Jo Dee Messina at House of Blues

Born in Framingham and raised in Holliston, Jo Dee Messina knew what she wanted, career-wise, pretty early on. At 12, she found herself wrapped up in listening to country music. At 14, she was sitting in as a singer with local bands. At 15, she was fronting her own band. At 19, she made the move to Nashville, the place to be if you had dream of playing music. After tackling the talent show circuit, she was signed to Curb Records, released a self-titled album, and ended up with two big hits — “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and “You’re Not in Kansas Anymore.” She obviously never forgot that early mid-’90s success, as the stop she’s making at House of Blues is part of her Heads Carolina, Tails California tour. Sunday, June 2, 8 p.m., House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, $33-$55.

Tony Trischka at Club Passim

He may be categorized as a bluegrass banjoist, but Tony Trischka has spent his long career moving his instrument in and out of all sorts of musical circles. Sure, his former band Skyline was bluegrass to the core – though their modern sound was often referred to as newgrass. But Trischka has gone so far as to include pieces by Bela Bartok, Fleetwood Mac, and the Beatles on his setlists. And while his 1999 album “New Deal” consisted of bluegrass standards, he managed to work a bluesy feel into them. As far as his banjo goes, he’s one of the speediest players around, but he’s always admitted that a beautiful melody is more important than how fast it can be played. Trischka’s got a new album coming out to coincide with his current tour. Titled “Earl Jam,” it’s a tribute to the late, great banjo man Earl Scruggs. Tracks include “Freight Train Blues,” “Cripple Creek,” “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” and, for you Beatles fans, “Lady Madonna.” Saturday, June 8, 8 p.m., Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge, $30.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Roadrunner

It’s coming up on almost 20 years since singer-guitarist Jason Isbell left the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers to put his creative energies into the world of what’s become known as alt-country. Initially, he was exploring singer-songwriter territory. After assembling a new band, the 400 Unit, his writing, though still in a country vein, was perhaps a bit more commercial, more diversified. Isbell certainly knew he was heading in the right direction when his 2015 album “Something More Than Free” took home the Grammy for Best Americana Album, and he continued it in the 2017 album he made with the 400 Unit, “The Nashville Sound.” Last year he exercised a different side of his creativity by taking on the supporting role of Bill Smith in the Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He also released his newest album “Weathervanes.” Tuesday, June 25, 8 p.m. Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston, $80-$300.

The Outlaw Music Festival at Xfinity Center

There’s no other concert presentation quite like this one. It started in 2016 when Willie Nelson, featured as the headliner, was joined, for their own sets, by Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Lee Ann Womack, and others. Other Outlaw Music Festivals have been held over the years, with Willie always at the center of it. This year’s version also features Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, and Celisse. As in the past, everyone gets their own time on the stage and, if tradition is honored, all will get together at the end for a group performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” followed by “I’ll Fly Away.” Tuesday, July 2, 5 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Manfield, $67-$435.

The Jerry Douglas Band at City Winery

For those who need a definition of a dobro: It’s a wood-bodied guitar with a metal resonator attached, and it’s played spread across your lap with metal finger and thumb picks on one hand, and a small bar – or bottleneck – in the other. Jerry Douglas is a master dobro player who’s been at it since he was 12, shortly after his dad took him to see Flatt & Scruggs play, and Jerry was blown away by their dobro player Josh Graves. But Douglas hasn’t exactly stuck to the usual dobro repertoire, steeped in bluegrass tradition. At least not until his third album, “Under the Wire,” on which he explored progressive bluegrass sounds. With the release of “Plant Early” – a couple of albums later – he was showing off some jazz influences. By the time of his 2017 release “What If” – the first with the Jerry Douglas Band – some critics were calling his music a fusion of bluegrass and bop. Anyone looking for a real treat at his City Winery show might want to call out a request for his cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Little Martha.” Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. City Winery, 8o Beverly St., Boston, $45-$65.

Best R&B/hip-hop concerts:

The Kid Laroi at MGM Music Hall

Before he started calling himself The Kid Laroi, Charlton Howard grew up in a poor part of Sydney, Australia, trying to help his single mom make ends meet, listening to music by Fugees and Erykah Badu, and dreaming of establishing his own career in hip-hop. The raw talent was there, but it also helped that he kept entering performance competitions and that he managed to hang out with others who were already on their way up, most notably the young rap star Juice Wrld. By the time he was 13, Howard – who around that time made the name change – was regularly performing. At 14, he made an independently released EP. Before he reached 15, he was signed to Sony, a move that spread his sound beyond Australia. A handful of hit singles followed. One of them – “Stay” – was a duo effort with Justin Bieber. But 2023 proved to be his biggest year to date: His debut studio album “The First Time” was released, and an earlier tune, “Forever & Again,” landed a spot on the “Barbie” soundtrack. Sunday, June 16, 7:30 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston, $56-$298.

Missy Elliott at TD Garden

Rapper-songwriter-producer Missy Elliott kicked off her career as one-quarter of the R&B girl group Sista, just about three decades ago. But it was in 1997, when she went solo, that she shifted into high gear, releasing her first album, “Supa Dupa Fly,” then seeing it go platinum within a couple of months. Not only did it establish her as a star – in both the hip-hop and R&B camps of listeners – it also set the course for an additional handful of platinum albums that she released into the mid-2000s. Elliott was also writing and/or producing songs for other artists, including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, and 702. Some health problems sidetracked her from the studio for a few years in the 2010s, but in 2019, she returned to the scene, releasing her EP “Iconology.” Opening acts are Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland. Saturday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, $79-$329.

Usher at TD Garden

His name is made up of four pronouns in a row – us, she, he, her – but his claim to fame is his powerful, yet silky-smooth tenor voice … and the man can dance! Before Usher began running up a string of number one songs, lining his mantelpiece with Grammy Awards, and earning diamond certification (sale of 10 million units) for his 2004 album “Confessions,” he was a singer in his church gospel choir. An appearance on “Star Search” when he was 13 led to a contract with LaFace Records. He got a gold record for his single “Think of You” before he graduated high school. Many singles, albums, and awards followed, and he eventually went beyond recording and performing music. In 2013, he became a coach on the TV show “The Voice.” In 2016, he played boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the film “Hands of Stone.” And recent years have included a 100-show Las Vegas residency in 2022 and 2023, a halftime performance at this year’s Super Bowl and, two days earlier, the release of his newest album “Coming Home.” Tuesday & Wednesday, Aug. 27 & 28, 8 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, $121-$533.

Also of note:

• Joe Jackson, June 4, The Wilbur
• Bleachers, June 10, MGM Music Hall
• Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, June 14, Regattabar
• Pixies & Modest Mouse, June 16, Xfinity Center
• Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, June 21, City Winery
• Lizzy McAlpine, June 21 & 22, MGM Music Hall
• Justin Timberlake, June 29, TD Garden
• Donny Osmond, June 30, Wang Theatre
• Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room with Robin Lane, June 30, City Winery
• Jason Mraz, July 6, Leader Bank Pavilion
• Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello, July 14, MGM Music Hall
• Pretenders, July 19, MGM Music Hall
• Cheryl Wheeler, July 26 & 27, Passim
• Slash – S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Aug. 1, Leader Bank Pavilion
• Cheap Trick, Aug. 3, MGM Music Hall
• Jennifer Lopez, Aug. 7, TD Garden
• Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, Aug. 17, Leader Bank Pavilion
• Childish Gambino, Aug. 23, TD Garden
• Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Aug. 23, City Winery

Note: This article has been changed to reflect the correct date of Barry Goudreau’s show at City Winery.